APS Resume Keywords Selection Criteria Star Examples

by APS Interview Coach | Mar 5, 2026 | APS Interview Coaching, APS PageUp Ai ATS

Most APS resumes fail before a human reads them. Not because the applicant lacks experience, but because PageUp, the applicant tracking system used by most APS agencies, cannot find the keywords it is looking for. This guide shows you exactly which keywords to use, how to write selection criteria that satisfy both the ATS and the panel, and how to stand out in government job applications in Australia in 2025.

Whether you are applying at APS3, APS6, or Executive Level, the same principles apply: mirror the language of the job advertisement, use the correct ILS capability names, and back every claim with specific, quantified evidence.

Contents

1. How PageUp Reads Your APS Resume
2. The APS Resume Keyword Strategy for 2025
3. The ILS Capability Framework: What Goes in Your Resume
4. How to Write APS Selection Criteria Using the STAR Method
5. Worked STAR Example: Achieves Results
6. Can AI Help With Your APS Application?
7. How to Stand Out in Government Job Applications in Australia
8. Capability Framework Quick Reference by Jurisdiction
9. Frequently Asked Questions

How PageUp Reads Your APS Resume

PageUp is the applicant tracking system (ATS) used by the majority of Australian Public Service agencies. When you upload your resume, PageUp parses the document — extracting the text and comparing it to the keywords and phrases in the job advertisement. It then assigns a relevance score. Applications that score below a threshold are ranked lower in the shortlist queue, often before a human panel reviews them.

Understanding how PageUp reads your document is the first step to making sure it reads it correctly.

File Format

Submit your resume as a .docx file wherever possible. PageUp parses Word documents more reliably than PDFs. PDFs — particularly those generated from scanned documents or built with complex design software — can produce garbled text when parsed, causing critical information to be missed or misread entirely. If the application only accepts PDF, export directly from Word rather than using a designer tool.

Layout and Formatting

PageUp’s parser reads text in a linear, left-to-right, top-to-bottom sequence. Any formatting that breaks this flow will cause parsing errors. Avoid the following in your APS resume:

• Tables — content inside table cells is often skipped or read out of order
• Multiple columns — the parser reads column 1 fully before column 2, which can place your job titles next to the wrong dates
• Text boxes — content inside text boxes is frequently invisible to the parser
• Headers and footers — your name and contact details placed here may not be read
• Decorative fonts and icons — these can be rendered as unreadable characters
• Embedded images of text — the parser cannot read images

Use a clean, single-column layout. Use standard headings: Work Experience, Education, Skills, Professional Development. Use Arial, Calibri, or Georgia at 10–12pt. Keep margins at 2cm or wider. Name your file clearly: Firstname-Lastname-Resume-APS-RoleTitle.docx.

Length

APS resumes should be two to four pages, depending on level. At APS3–APS5, two to three pages are appropriate. At APS6 and EL1, three to four pages is standard. Senior Executive Service (SES) resumes may extend to five pages. Remove roles older than 15 years unless directly relevant to the position.

→ See our APS Resume Services for expert resume review and rewriting

The APS Resume Keyword Strategy for 2025

PageUp performs keyword matching between your resume text and the job advertisement. The closer the language in your resume matches the language in the advertisement and selection criteria, the higher your match score. This is the single most impactful optimisation you can make to your APS resume in 2025.

Step 1 — Extract Keywords from the Job Advertisement

Before writing or updating your resume, copy the full text of the job advertisement — including the position overview, key duties, and selection criteria — into a separate document. Then highlight:

• Every capability name (from the ILS or relevant state framework)
• Every action verb (e.g. lead, develop, coordinate, advise, analyse)
• Every technical term specific to the role (e.g. budget management, stakeholder engagement, policy development, legislative compliance)
• Every tool or system named (e.g. SAP, Objective, TRIM, Salesforce)

These highlighted terms are your target keywords. Every one of them should appear at least once in your resume — verbatim, not paraphrased.

Step 2 — Check for Exact Phrase Matches

PageUp performs literal phrase matching, not semantic matching. This means it does not understand that “manages stakeholder relationships” and “stakeholder engagement” refer to the same skill. If the job advertisement uses “stakeholder engagement,” your resume must use “stakeholder engagement” — not “stakeholder management,” not “relationship management.”

This is particularly important for ILS capability names. If the advertisement lists “Communicates with Influence” as a selection criterion, that exact phrase must appear in your resume or pitch. A synonym will not score.

Step 3 — Distribute Keywords Across Your Resume

Do not cluster all keywords in one section. Distribute them naturally across:

• Professional summary/career profile (top of the document — PageUp weights early content more heavily)
• Key skills or capabilities section (a short list of 8–12 capabilities and technical terms)
• Each role description — use keywords in context within bullet points

Aim for your top five keywords to appear two to three times across the document. Do not exceed this — keyword stuffing is detectable and will cost you credibility with the human panel.

Step 4 — Use the APS Work Level Standards Language

The APS Work Level Standards describe the expected behaviours and outputs at each classification level. Agencies use this language directly in job advertisements. Familiarise yourself with the Standards at your target level and incorporate the exact phrases into your resume descriptions.

For example, at APS6, the Work Level Standards use phrases such as “exercising a degree of independent judgment,” “providing advice and analysis,” and “contributing to team and branch outcomes.” These phrases belong in your resume if you are applying at APS6.

→ Browse our APS Interview Tips and Resources library

The ILS Capability Framework: What Goes in Your Resume

The Integrated Leadership System (ILS) is the APS capability framework. It defines the behaviours and characteristics expected of effective APS leaders and employees at each classification level. The ILS capability names appear directly in APS job advertisements and are the primary keywords PageUp is scanning for.

There are five core ILS capability clusters. Each cluster contains specific capabilities that are described in behavioural terms. The exact names below are the phrases that must appear in your resume and pitch — not paraphrases.

The Five ILS Capability Clusters

1. Shapes Strategic Thinking

• Inspires a sense of purpose and direction
• Focuses strategically
• Harnesses information and opportunities
• Shows judgment, intelligence and common sense

2. Achieves Results

• Builds organisational capability and responsiveness
• Marshals professional expertise
• Steers and implements change and deals with uncertainty
• Delivers intended results

3. Supports Productive Working Relationships (APS1–EL1) / Cultivates Productive Working Relationships (EL2 and above)

• Nurtures internal and external relationships
• Facilitates cooperation and partnerships
• Values individual differences and diversity
• Guides, mentors and develops people

4. Exemplifies Personal Drive and Integrity

• Demonstrates public service professionalism and probity
• Engages with risk and shows personal courage
• Commits to action
• Displays resilience
• Demonstrates self-awareness and a commitment to personal development

5. Communicates with Influence

• Communicates clearly
• Listens, understands and adapts to the audience
• Negotiates persuasively

How to Embed ILS Capability Names in Your Resume

Do not list ILS capabilities as a standalone section. Instead, embed the capability names within your role descriptions and achievement statements so they appear in context. This satisfies the PageUp keyword scan and provides the human panel with evidence in the same sentence.

Weak (capability named, no evidence):
Demonstrated Achieves Results and Communicates with Influence across multiple projects.

Strong (capability named with evidence):
Led a cross-divisional project team to deliver a revised procurement framework three weeks ahead of schedule, demonstrating Achieves Results under competing resource and stakeholder pressures. Communicated with Influence by presenting the framework to the Executive Leadership Group and securing unanimous approval at the first submission.

The second version uses the exact ILS capability names and immediately provides specific, verifiable evidence. PageUp scores the keyword; the panel sees the capability in action.

→ Get expert help with APS selection criteria writing

How to Write APS Selection Criteria Using the STAR Method

The STAR method — Situation, Task, Action, Result — is the standard structure for APS selection criteria responses. Most APS roles at APS3 and above require applicants to address selection criteria, either through a pitch statement submitted in PageUp or through written responses to targeted questions. The STAR method provides the structure; your specific, first-person evidence provides the substance.

Situation (2–3 sentences)

Set the context for your example. Name the agency or organisation (you can say “a Commonwealth agency” if required for privacy), the nature of the role, the size of the team, and the challenge or context that makes this example relevant. Keep this section brief — its purpose is to orient the reader, not to tell the full story.

What to include: agency type, team size, the problem or context, the stakes.

What to avoid: unnecessary background, vague descriptions, anything that does not directly set up the Task.

Task (1 sentence)

State your specific, individual responsibility in this situation. This is the most commonly mishandled section of a STAR response. Many applicants describe what the team was responsible for rather than what they personally were accountable for. The APS merit principle requires you to demonstrate your individual capability — not the team’s.

Use first person singular: “I was responsible for…” or “My role was to…”

Action (4–6 sentences)

This is the longest and most important section. Describe in specific detail what you personally did: the steps you took, the decisions you made, the stakeholders you engaged, the methods or frameworks you applied, and the challenges you navigated. Use first-person active verbs throughout.

Strong action verbs for APS applications include: led, developed, designed, implemented, advised, coordinated, negotiated, analysed, presented, facilitated, drafted, managed, resolved, built, and delivered.

This is also the section where ILS capability language appears most naturally. If the criterion is “Communicates with Influence,” your action sentences should describe communication activities: presentations, written advice, negotiations, and briefings.

Result (1–2 sentences)

State the outcome of your actions. Quantify wherever possible — this is the element most often missing from APS selection criteria responses, and its absence weakens even a well-structured example.

Ways to quantify a result:

• Numbers: “reduced processing time by 30 per cent”
• Scale: “delivered to 1,200 staff across six sites”
• Timeframes: “completed three weeks ahead of schedule”
• Recognition: “commended by the Deputy Secretary” or “adopted as agency-wide policy”
• Ongoing impact: “The framework has been in continuous operation since 2023 with no significant amendments”

If you genuinely cannot quantify, describe who benefited, what changed, and what has sustained as a result of your actions.

→ See our full STAR Method guide for APS applications and interviews

Worked STAR Example: Achieves Results (APS Policy Context)

The following is a complete, publishable STAR example written for the ILS capability “Achieves Results” in an APS policy context. It is approximately 190 words — appropriate for a written selection criteria response at APS5–EL1 level.

Working as a Senior Policy Officer within a federal regulatory agency, I was a member of a cross-agency working group tasked with reviewing and updating the department’s grants assessment framework following an internal audit that identified significant inconsistencies in decision-making processes.

I was individually responsible for developing the revised assessment criteria, designing the stakeholder consultation approach, and drafting the final framework document for Executive consideration.

To Achieves Results within the 10-week project window, I developed a staged consultation plan that prioritised the four peak body stakeholders whose feedback had historically delayed previous policy processes. I facilitated three structured workshops using an interest-based negotiation model, mapped each stakeholder’s core concern against the draft criteria, and resolved six substantive objections through targeted redrafting. I also managed the project timeline independently while my immediate supervisor was on extended leave, escalating one significant risk to the Deputy Secretary with a recommended mitigation strategy that was approved without amendment.

The revised framework was adopted in full by the Senior Executive Committee and has since reduced average grants assessment time by 22 per cent, as measured in the department’s 2024–25 annual performance report.

What this example does well:

• Name the agency type and team context (cross-agency working group)
• Clearly states individual accountability in the Task sentence
• Uses first-person active verbs throughout (developed, designed, drafted, facilitated, mapped, resolved, managed, escalated)
• Names the ILS capability “Achieves Results” once, naturally embedded in the Action section
• Closes with a specific, independently verifiable quantified result (22 per cent reduction, cited source)
• Total word count: approximately 190 words — within the typical selection criteria word limit per criterion

Can AI Help With Your APS Application?

AI tools — including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot — can assist with certain parts of your APS application. They cannot replace the human judgment, personal evidence, and APS-specific expertise that your application ultimately requires.

What AI Can Do Well

• Generate a draft structure — AI can produce a STAR template or pitch outline based on a job advertisement you provide
• Check grammar and tone — AI is effective at identifying grammatical errors, passive voice, and overly complex sentence structures
• Suggest keywords — if you provide the full job advertisement, AI can identify the capability names and technical terms you should be targeting
• Rephrase weak sentences — AI can improve clarity and directness in sentences you have already drafted
• Identify gaps — AI can compare your draft against the selection criteria and flag sections that are thin on evidence

What AI Cannot Do

• Write your STAR examples — AI does not know what you did, where you worked, who you worked with, or what you achieved. Any STAR example an AI generates is fictional and will be generic
• Demonstrate your individual merit — the APS merit principle requires evidence of your specific, personal capability. AI-generated evidence is not your evidence
• Match PageUp keywords reliably — AI tools do not have current access to how PageUp scores applications at specific agencies. Keyword optimisation requires knowledge of the specific job advertisement
• Replace specialist coaching — the nuances of APS recruitment — Work Level Standards, integrity requirements, panel dynamics — require human expertise to navigate well

The Integrity Risk

A growing number of APS agencies are including statements in their application forms asking applicants to confirm that the content they submit is their own and accurately reflects their experience. Submitting AI-generated content that misrepresents your skills or experience carries genuine risk — not only to your application, but to your ongoing reputation within the APS, where selection panels and hiring managers are often known to each other across agencies.

Use AI as a preparation tool. Write the evidence yourself.

→ Read our full guide: APS AI Recruitment Tips — What Works and What Doesn’t

How to Stand Out in Government Job Applications in Australia

Most APS and state government applicants make the same mistakes: generic language, team-level achievements, no quantification, and selection criteria that describe duties rather than demonstrate capability. Standing out does not require extraordinary experience — it requires presenting your existing experience in a way that is specific, structured, and aligned to the exact language the panel and the ATS are looking for.

1. Treat Every Application as a Unique Document

The single most impactful thing you can do is tailor your resume and pitch for every single application. This does not mean rewriting your entire resume. It means reviewing the job advertisement, identifying the five to eight most important keywords and capability names, and checking that those exact phrases appear in the most prominent positions in your resume — the professional summary, the key skills section, and the most recent role description.

2. Lead With Your Strongest Evidence First

PageUp weights content that appears early in the document. Your professional summary should read as a condensed case for your merit — not a biography. Open with a direct statement of your most relevant capability, name your classification level and years of experience, and cite one specific achievement. This approach serves both the ATS scan and the human reader.

3. Quantify Everything You Reasonably Can

Numbers are the most credible form of evidence in an APS application. Budget figures, team sizes, project timelines, process improvements, stakeholder numbers, compliance rates — any metric that demonstrates the scale and impact of your work makes your claims more specific and more memorable. Panels read dozens of applications. A resume with three quantified achievements stands apart from one with none.

4. Use the Capability Framework Language of the Correct Jurisdiction

APS, NSW, VIC, QLD and other state government agencies all use different capability frameworks with different terminology. Using APS ILS language in a NSW Government application — or vice versa — will reduce your keyword match score and signal to the panel that you have not tailored your application. Always identify the correct framework before writing a single word.

5. Address the Unwritten Criterion: Cultural Fit

Every APS agency has a published set of values and a strategic direction. Reference both in your pitch and your cover letter where appropriate. Name the agency’s current priorities — not as a generic compliment, but as a genuine reason your skills are well-timed. Panels notice when applicants have done their research. It signals motivation, professionalism, and the kind of initiative that APS roles require.

6. Don’t Forget the Interview Is Part of the Selection Process

Your resume and pitch are designed to get you to an interview. The interview is where you win the role. Invest time in preparing STAR examples for the interview that go beyond what you submitted in writing — broader examples, different contexts, deeper reflection on your professional development. The strongest APS candidates are those who show consistent evidence across both the written and verbal stages.

→ See our APS Interview Coaching Services

Capability Framework Quick Reference by Jurisdiction

The capability framework used in your application determines which keywords the ATS is scanning for. Using the wrong framework’s language is one of the most common — and most preventable — errors in government job applications in Australia.

For NSW Government roles specifically, the NSW PSCF uses capability names including “Deliver Results,” “Think and Solve Problems,” “Manage Self,” “Communicate Effectively,” and “Commit to Customer Service.” These are substantially different from ILS capability names. Never use ILS language in an NSW Government application.

→ State Government Interview Coaching — NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA and ACT

→ NSW Government Interview Coaching

→ Victorian Public Service (VPS) Interview Coaching

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I submit my APS resume as a PDF or a Word document?

Submit as a .docx Word document wherever the application allows it. PageUp parses Word documents more reliably than PDFs. If the role requires a PDF submission, export directly from Word — do not use a design tool or converter that may alter the text layer of the file.

How long should an APS resume be?

APS resumes are typically two to four pages, depending on classification level. APS3–APS5: two to three pages. APS6–EL1: three to four pages. EL2 and above: up to five pages. Remove roles more than 15 years old unless directly relevant. The focus should be on the most recent 10 years of experience, with older roles summarised briefly if included at all.

What keywords should I include in an APS resume?

Your APS resume should include the exact ILS capability names from the job advertisement (such as “Achieves Results,” “Communicates with Influence,” and “Supports Productive Working Relationships”), the technical terms specific to the role (such as “policy development,” “stakeholder engagement,” or “budget management”), and the action verbs used in the job advertisement’s key duties section. All keywords should appear verbatim — not paraphrased.

Does PageUp read PDF resumes correctly?

Not always. PDFs with complex layouts, multiple columns, images, or non-standard fonts can produce parsing errors in PageUp. The safest option is always a clean, single-column .docx file. If you must submit a PDF, test it by converting the PDF back to text (paste into Notepad) and check that the output reads cleanly and in the correct order.

Is it acceptable to use ChatGPT or AI to write APS selection criteria?

AI tools can help you structure and draft selection criteria responses, but the STAR examples must be based on your own real experience. AI does not know what you did or achieved, so any AI-generated evidence will be generic and unverifiable. Some APS agencies now include integrity declarations in their application forms. The safest and most effective approach is to use AI for structure and grammar, then write all evidence in your own words from your own career history.

How do I know which ILS capabilities to address in my APS resume?

The job advertisement will list the selection criteria and the ILS capability names relevant to the role. These are your targets. Every capability name listed in the advertisement should appear at least once in your resume — in the professional summary, the key skills section, or within your role descriptions. Focus on the capabilities listed as “mandatory” or under “what we are looking for” first.

What is the difference between APS selection criteria and a pitch statement?

Selection criteria are individual written responses, typically one per criterion, submitted as separate answers within a PageUp application form. A pitch statement (also called a statement of claims) is a single integrated document — usually 500 to 1000 words — that addresses all criteria together in a structured argument. Which format is required will be specified in the job advertisement. Both use the STAR method of evidence; the pitch requires you to weave the evidence into a cohesive narrative rather than separate responses.

Related Resources

• How to Write an APS Pitch Statement That Passes PageUp AI Shortlisting
• The STAR Method for APS Applications and Interviews
• APS Interview Questions — What to Expect
• Government Terms Glossary
• APS Selection Criteria Writing Tips (Free PDF — APS3 to APS6)
• APS Interview Preparation Checklist (Free PDF)
• APS Executive Level (EL1 and EL2) Application Insights
• APS Resume Services — Professional Resume Review and Rewriting

This guide was written by the PS Interview Coach team. Our lead coach has over 20 years of experience in APS recruitment, including as a selection panel member across multiple federal agencies. PS Interview Coach provides specialist coaching for APS and state government job applications, from APS3 to the Senior Executive Service.

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